New drinking water plant for Niamey, Niger
The Netherlands and Niger signed a funding agreement for the construction of a water intake and drinking water purification plant for the capital city Niamey. Under this agreement, the Netherlands contributes 30 million euro towards an investment of 220 million euro in the full expansion project that also includes the distribution.
Other financers
The agreement was signed by Niger finance minister Mamadou Diop and Dutch ambassador Jolke Oppewal on 13 February.
The Dutch contribution is intended for the construction of the plant, the purchase of equipment and capacity building. Loans from the European Investment Bank (EIB) and Agence Française de Développement (AFD) cover the rest of the costs.
Additional supply capacity
Niamey has grown rapidly in recent years. As a result, the drinking water supply is no longer sufficient. The planned water intake and purification plant will provide 100,000 cubic meter of drinking water per day. It will benefit 450,000 people in the capital of Niger. The water comes from the Niger River, which runs through the city of Niamey.
Construction of the water intake and purification plant will start this year. The clients and partners in this project are Niger's Ministry of Water and Société de Patrimoine des Eaux du Niger (SPEN), the national authority for drinking water.
Current expansion
The project is part of Niamey's master plan for drinking water that aims to expand the city’s supply capacity. The plan includes the current construction of Goudel IV, a water purification plant (40,000 m3/d) that will be ready for use in June 2020.
The Netherlands has contributed 23 million euro to Goudel IV, while EIB and AFD funded the distribution network.
